July 24th ~ Lausanne to Murren, Switzerland
Traveling via rail from Lausanne to Murren (going past Lake Geneva)
OK, it is not really difficult to get from Lausanne to Murren, but it does require several connections, some of which are very short and it helps if someone points you in the right direction.
Here is what our schedule looked like:
Multiple connections to get from Lausanne to Murren
The section from Montreux to Zweisimmen was on one of the special scenic trains – The Golden Pass, also known as the Chocolate Train. I’m not sure why it got that name, because I certainly was not served any chocolates 😦
Golden Pass Railway
But the scenery certainly did not disappoint!
Green valleys, brilliant blue lakes, church steeple
Tim enjoying the view
Vineyards cover many steep slopes along the lake
Horses grazing below us. What a perfect pasture for them.
Wild flowers cover the meadows
There was often quite a bit of glare on the train windows, so getting a decent picture was challenging…
Church steeples dot the countryside
Route from Interlaken-Ost to Lauterbrunnen
The last part of the trip was especially fun, as to get up to where we were staying in Murren, we had to take a cable car and then a tiny cog train. They take your luggage in Lauterbrunnen and put it in a wagon that hangs below the cable car, and the same wagon is then pulled behind the train. You collect your luggage again when you arrive in Murren. In our case, our hotel was just across the street. We were met by a porter from our hotel who whisk away our two large bags, and the next thing we knew they had been delivered to our room, even before we arrived!
Taking the cable car up the mountain (windows on cable car were smudged so lousy picture)
The final lap of our journey.
Our hotel room did not have a view, but it was large, clean, delightfully furnished and very comfortable and well located for our three night stay here in the Bernese Overland area.
Our hotel room at the Hotel Eiger in Murren
Overnight: Hotel Eiger, Murren
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful for Swiss efficiency and well staffed train cars and stations. We found it easy and convenient at each transfer as there was always a staff member readily available to point us in the right direction for our next train or tram. Although I was a little unsure about the close connections, everything worked smoothly and without a hitch.
A Note From Abroad 
Tim dressed well… pink or magenta always looks good against blue. 🙂 From the picture of you taking a picture, it looks like you are getting it. Old photographer’s tip. Just press the lens up against the last. Keeps out glare and ambient light from inside.
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Thanks Ray. I took quite a few shots that were really bad – blurry, washed out, reflection glare, etc. Then Tim suggested I try holding camera up against window. I was afraid that the vibration of the train would make things worse, but I certainly got a much higher percentage of usable pictures that way. Appreciate your reinforcing that this was the best way to go.
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Anything over a shutter speed of about 1/250 should fine. By placing the lens on the glass the train and camera vibrate together.
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That helps. Thanks again!
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more wonderful photos, glare, smudges or no. So beautiful, how will you ever bear to come home? 🙂
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Good question as we are loving our time on this trip. BUT, we also love our friends and family back home 🙂
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Was at Murren in 2003 and there was a Funicular up, not the cable car. Is the Funicular no longer available? It was so fun. We had a great 4 days there and is on the list of the few places to return to spend more time at. Have fun.
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Terry, we had to take the cable car to get to the small cog train. There were several different ways up the mountain. A couple days later we went to the valley to see the waterfalls and took a different cable car up that deposited us at the opposite end of town. I found this article that explains that the funicular was replaced in 2006.
“Today the existence of the funicular is threatened because of some landslides on the slope. In some places the tracks are distorded ! There is a plan to replace the funicular with an aerial cable way !
A solution must be agreed upon by the end of 2006.
Three options are being examined :
– a new surface funicular instead of the present one (CHF 29 Millions),
– a new underground funicular on another site (CHF 47 Millions),
– an aerial cable car on the same site as the present funicular (CHF 20 Millions)… The top station would be the same Grütsch station.
It means that the extraordinary machine which presently takes charge of the freight transshipment between the funicular and the Grütsch – Mürren train will be retained for the pallet transshipment between the aerial cable car and the train !
The company Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen – Mürren (BLM) is for the aerial cable car solution, which is the less expensive. The Lauterbrunnen Town Council and the people of Mürren are for the rebuilt of the funicular but this solution is too expensive for BLM.
The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (BLM) was opened in 1891 and has been dismantled on Friday April 25, 2006 after 115 years! On Friday December 15th, 2006, was the opening of the new aerial cable car on the same site as the present funicular. The top station is the same Grütschalp station.”
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Thank you for the information, I can see with all the weather there how the funicular could be threatened. Have a wonderful time up there. Are you going to visit the rotating restaurant above town that was in a James Bond movie? Quite a nice place to visit and have a snack and beverage as it rotates for the scenery. And the T…… (cannot rember the name) falls in the valley are spectacular. Enjoy
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Terry, we got to the top of the mountain, in fact twice, but the weather did not cooperate very well. And I agree, Trummelbach Falls were very interesting. Just working on that write up now.
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Gorgeous scenery. I think Switzerland must be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You manages to get some great shots through the train window.
Alison
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Alison, thank you and I have to agree that Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries. We are pushing 100 countries visited now, and it is right up there at the top for scenic beauty. We are particularly biased when it comes to mountains.
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That must be an amazing train journey looking through the beautiful views that Switzerland can offer! 🙂
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Yes it was! We enjoyed each and every day on the train using our 15 day Swiss Pass. It is a good deal allowing you to see magnificent scenery across a beautiful country.
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Awesome! 🙂
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Your travels are such a lovely trip down “Memory Lane” for me! We had lunch in Montreux and then got the Golden Pass train to Interlaken and on to Luzern. It’s another wonderful rail trip to do and like the Bernina is a scheduled rail service. We were so lucky as we got to ride in one of the old fashioned Pullman wagons – really was like travelling in a bygone era. On another occasion we went to Murren for lunch though we didn’t stay there overnight. The little train that trundles along the ridge to Murren was a big highlight for me and we had a memorable lunch on the little terrace looking across to the Eiger. Afterwards we went across to Wengen though have yet to do the Jungfraujoch rail trip. Looks like you’re having a great trip! 🙂
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We are making memories that will last a lifetime, that is for sure! We fell deeply in love with Switzerland and would love to return for a longer visit some day.
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I learned about holding the camera against the window on my train trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks last spring. What a difference. Still not the same as shooting from an open window. Beautiful photos as always. Those mountains call to me. –Curt
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Curt, there is spectacular scenery in Alaska too. Bet you got some great shots on that trip. And yes, I too much prefer the open window over shooting through glass.
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That we did, Joanne. The sky was clear and we got some great shots of Denali. –Curt
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All the photos are beautiful but I love the one of you on the train with your camera taking a photo, plus reflection…I don’t know why, but it tickled my fancy…probably because I’m the photo taker and that would be me in the same situation! Thank you.
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Thanks! Can’t say that was one of my favorites. Tim snapped it while I was preoccupied, but I could appreciate that it helped tell the story.
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